Natural food supplements are typically designed to compensate for reduced levels of nutrients in the modern human and animal diet. In particular, useful supplements increase the function of tissues when consumed. It can be particularly important to supplement the diets of humans and particular classes of animals whose normal diet may be deficient in nutrients available only from meat and animal products (e.g. human vegetarians and other animals consuming an herbivorous diet).
In addition, in the sporting and athletic community, natural food supplements which specifically improve athletic ability are increasingly important, such as supplements that promote or enhance physical prowess for leisure or employment purposes. In another example, anaerobic (e.g., lactate producing) stress can cause the onset of fatigue and discomfort that can be experienced with aging. Anaerobic stress can also result from prolonged sub-maximal isometric exercise when the local circulation is partially or totally occluded by the increase in intra-muscular pressure (e.g., during rock climbing) or from exercise involving prolonged breath holding (e.g., free diving, or synchronized swimming). Excessive lactate production can result in the acidification of the intracellular environment.
Previous work demonstrated that carnosine is significantly increased in muscle following administration of beta-alanine or a biological source of beta-alanine (e.g., carnosine) supplementation. The dosing schedule that has been preferred for such administration (i.e., 8 times daily), however, leads to compliance issues and problems with paraesthesia. Thus, there is a need for improved supplements containing free beta-alanine or a biological source thereof in a sustained release formulation to increase compliance and decrease paraesthesia events.